The present inventors have studied the chemical modification of hydroquinone compounds which can readily be obtained from quinone compounds in order to solubilize in water various biologically active quinone compounds useful as medicaments, to convert them into prodrugs or to find novel pharmacological activities of these derivatives themselves.
However, in general, it is difficult to chemically modify the hydroxy group of hydroquinone compounds regioselectively at any desired site. Thus, means to synthesize their various derivatives regioselectively is required.